


Drinks

by Venturous



Series: The Heart Must Pause [8]
Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Episode Related, Multi, Season/Series 07
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-08
Updated: 2013-02-08
Packaged: 2017-11-28 15:08:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/675790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Venturous/pseuds/Venturous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robbie Lewis gets a clue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Drinks

**Author's Note:**

> Part 8 of 10  
> AU after Ramblin' Boy

On his way to pick up lunch and dry cleaning Robbie called Laura and left her a message about meeting for dinner. She called back promptly. “Hello Robbie. I’m afraid I don’t get off ‘til half seven, we’ve got a full house here this week. Is everything alright?”

He almost growled but caught himself. _No need to take this out on Laura, you clumsy ox_.  When did he get so bad at communication with people he loved?

“It’s James. It’s complicated. I can tell you over dinner. “ He sighed.

“I can’t wait to see you. “

He could hear the smile in her voice.

“I’m not sure that your corpses wouldn’t be better company.”

“Stop it, Robbie Lewis. I’ll meet you at Fisher’s at eight.”

“Thanks love, I’ll be waiting.”

======

When Lewis got home his flat seemed to echo, empty. He hung up the cleaning and checked the voice mail. Nothing from James. Taking a Newcastle from the fridge he sorted through the mail, that’s when he spotted the envelope, made out in James’ neat hand.

Without opening it, he called James. Voice mail, again. Robbie threw the phone across the room.

=========

Hobson arrived at restaurant a few minutes late, looking rosy and fresh and delighted to see him. Her face fell just a bit when she realized Lewis was a bit smashed. She kissed his cheek and sat.

“What’s going on Robbie? She reached across the table taking his hand in both of hers.

 He filled her in on the morning’s conversation with Innocent and then brings out the letter.

“It’s from James.”

Nodding, she unfolded and began to read.

He didn’t wait for her to finish. “I didn’t bargain for this, Laura. I never imagined I would lose James, not like this.”

The waiter arrived and she ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. “Waiter? On second thought, make that a bottle, please.” _I’d better catch up_ , she thought.

The resulting fuss over glasses and uncorking distract them for a few minutes. When the waiter departed she drank deeply from her glass and looked at Lewis, taking in his beautifully lined face, engraved with a lifetime of caring about people. She knows this face so well, after all this time. He thinks he can hide it, but his love is written in every line.

“For once I have no idea what to do.” He watched her, looking like he just might cry.

“Well, I can see it might have been a shock to him.”

“What, you and me? He’s the one always encouraging me.”

She smiled warmly, imagining the earnest Hathaway doing the ‘right thing’ despite his own feelings.

“Imagine what it looked like to him, Robbie”  she said gently. “Replaced at work, and in your affections.”

“Replaced? Don’t be daft, there’s no replacing James Hathaway. He couldn’t think that I wanted rid of him?”

“The heart is not always so rational, Inspector Lewis” She tilted her head to get eye contact. He looked up at her, sheepish. Was he blushing?

“We, I, er weren’t like that Laura. Of course we’re best mates, but he can’t have thought….”

She just looked at him.

“What, you too? Apparently Innocent thinks I should have known or done something differently, from the look she gave me today. For heavens sake, Laura!”

“Are you telling me that you didn’t suspect that he was in love with you?” She tries to say it as kindly as possible. “It’s pretty obvious, Robbie. You are the world to him.”

Lewis put his head in his hands, remembering.

All those times, cozy on the couch watching telly. The way James looked at him when they met in the morning. How he looked out for Robbie when he was under the weather, and often called to say goodnight. Lewis had known. He just hadn’t _wanted_ toknow.

Robbie loved his sergeant, this he knew. Seven years of work and more, a partnership even more complete than he’d experienced with Morse. A trust that went deep. They would kill, die for each other. Lewis couldn’t imagine work without James. He used to encourage the lad to move on. When had he stopped, when had he accepted that it was both of them to the end?

James was infinitely clever, he never crossed a line that might upset the balance. Robbie thought back to the day they solved the Dutta case, how James hadn’t wanted to go back to the office. How he asked him to just sit with him. Lewis had felt relieved, almost happy about wrapping up the case. James’ pensiveness had surprised him, then unlocked his concern, his empathy. He recalled feeling the impulse to take James’ hand, to pull him into a hug.  To comfort him.

“Are you ready to order, sir?” the waiter broke through his reverie.

Lewis looked up at him, young, tall, almost pretty. He was smiling at him. He searched his feelings. Was there anything, any attraction? Was it even possible?

“Robbie?”

He looked at Laura Hobson, so beautiful in the candle light. Looking quite concerned.

“Another Lagavulin, please. No ice.”

“We’ll both have the duck, with rocket salad and new potatoes please. “

He looked at her gratefully. And felt completely at sea.


End file.
